Erosion at Indian River Inlet

Delaware Seashore State Park says high tides have caused erosion and forced the closure of part of the inlet area for Labor Day weekend.

INDIAN RIVER INLET, Del.- DNREC has announced that parts of the North Indian River Inlet Beach are currently closed.  

According to DNREC, debris and exposed bridge infrastructure have created some hazardous conditions. The agency says that heavy equipment will also be moving in and around the area for the next several months.

In a post on Facebook DNREC goes on to say, "We kindly ask that you respect the closures and keep clear of these sections for now. Your safety is our priority, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation." 

The north and middle pedestrian crossings at the North Inlet Day Area are closed as of Aug. 30, due to additional erosion caused by high tides.

According to Delaware Seashore State Park, the closure is expected to remain in place throughout the weekend. 

This closure follows ongoing concerns about the area's erosion. For over a year, the Surfrider Foundation has urged the state to remove hazardous debris, including asphalt, concrete, rusty metal, corroded pipes, and large wooden boards exposed they say due to the inoperability of the sand bypass system since 2019.

Additionally, on Aug. 18, a dune at Northside Beach was destroyed by ocean waves, causing flooding on Route 1. 

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Madeleine has been with Draper Media since 2016, when she first worked as Sussex County Bureau Chief. She helped launch the rebranded CoastTV in 2019. As co-anchor of CoastTV News at 5 and 6, Maddie helps organize the evening newscasts and performs managerial responsibilities such as helping find and assign stories, approving scripts, and making content decisions.

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